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Staff Newsletter | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
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Nov. 3, 2023
In This Issue
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2023 Governor's Deer Hunting Opener taking place in Lanesboro
 DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen and Gov. Tim Walz. Photo credit: Deb Rose
The 2023 Governor's Deer Hunting Opener is underway in Lanesboro, with events Nov. 3-4.
"Minnesota is home to exceptional public lands and unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the state," Gov. Tim Walz said in a news release. "I look forward to commemorating the time-honored deer hunting tradition that so many Minnesotans celebrate each year."
The celebration is organized by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota in partnership with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Bluffland Whitetails Association, the Minnesota Conservation Federation and the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.
“Nearly half a million Minnesotans deer hunt each year, and this year’s event will celebrate that rich tradition, whether a hunter’s tradition is new or generations old,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “From the southern farmlands to the Northwoods, and all corners of our state, I am excited to welcome hunters to deer season.”
Highlights of the opener include a listening session with Commissioner Strommen, a deer processing demo and venison sampling, and an opening day hunt. Follow the Minnesota DNR's accounts on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X) for highlights from the event.
Have photos from your deer camp you want to share on social? Use #DeerCampMN and #OnlyInMN.
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Nov. 11 is Veterans Day
 Storm Kettelhut, a veteran and fisheries specialist.
Veterans Day is a holiday to recognize the contributions of America’s military service members, including more than 200 of our veteran colleagues at the DNR.
One of those colleagues is Storm Kettelhut, a fisheries specialist in the Glenwood Fish and Wildlife office, who spent three years on active duty as an infantryman in the United States Army.
“Although the experience itself was not easy and the years following have had their challenges, there has never been a moment that I regret serving in the military,” Kettelhut said.
Kettelhut has always enjoyed the outdoors but after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan, he developed an entirely new appreciation for nature and how therapeutic it can be.
“From that moment on, I knew I wanted to start a career in the activity I found the most joy in – fishing,” Kettelhut said. “The military equipped me with a mindset that allowed me to relentlessly pursue that goal with the understanding that there was no quitting until I achieved it.”
The DNR is a proud Yellow Ribbon organization, meaning the agency is committed to supporting and giving back to veterans in our agency and throughout the state.
“I have been amazed by the effort the DNR puts into supporting service members, veterans and their families,” Kettelhut said. “As a Yellow Ribbon company, the DNR truly goes above and beyond to engage with the Minnesota military community. As a veteran, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities extended to me by the DNR.”
This Veterans Day, please find time to connect with veterans, find ways to support military members, honor their service, and say thanks.
Save the date for diversity, equity and inclusion standup events
To support and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core value of the department, the DNR Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invites staff to upcoming virtual DEI standup events, where staff will highlight the progress and impact of DEI work at DNR.
These events aim to create a shared understanding of the goals and objectives of the programs within the ODEI, discuss DEI initiatives throughout the agency, share successes and opportunities related to DEI, and improve staff awareness of DEI priorities.
ODEI will offer three standup event options: Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 9:30-11 a.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 2-3:30 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 22 from 2-3:30 p.m. All DNR staff and leadership are required to attend at least one of the options above. Please save the date and watch for the all DNR announcement via email with more details about the events.
DEI is a core value for the DNR. Embracing diversity means incorporating a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, which can lead to increased creativity and innovation. Equity ensures fairness and equal opportunities for all staff, fostering a positive work environment. Inclusion involves creating a culture where everyone feels valued and respected, increasing employee engagement and productivity. Moreover, as an equitable, diverse, and inclusive agency, the DNR is more adaptable to change and better able to serve all Minnesotans.
Become an IDEC mentor
The Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers program is looking for 12 dedicated professionals to serve as a mentor in the fourth cohort.
The program is a collaborative effort between the DNR, the Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to provide a college-to-career pathway for underrepresented STEM college students.
The program consists of three components – a fellowship with an annual financial award to ensure academic success, a mentorship to connect students with professionals in the field, and an internship to ensure the students have experience in the field before graduation.
Mentorship component: The program is looking for mentors to support career exploration and positively impact young adult’s careers through one-on-one mentorship. As a mentor paired with an IDEC fellow, you would have an opportunity to help early career professionals navigate natural resource career pathways and gain new experiences. This is your chance to inspire and motivate the next generation of the workforce. You will also have opportunities to network with like-minded professionals.
How to apply: The IDEC mentor application opens Monday, Nov. 6 and closes Friday, Dec. 1.
Mentor timeline:
- Application: Nov. 6 to Dec. 1.
- Information session: Nov. 16 from 2-3 p.m.
- Selection and notification: Dec. 8
- Orientation: Dec. 18 from 1-2 p.m.
- Program kick-off: week of Jan. 8
- Quarterly check-ins: February, May, August and November
To attend the virtual mentor information session on Nov. 16 or if you have additional questions about the IDEC program, contact May Yang-Lee by email or call 651-259-5026.
Open enrollment is... open
 Open enrollment is the time of year employees can easily change their benefits (outside of having a qualifying life event), such as:
- Buying life insurance without having to prove you're healthy
- Adding or dropping family members from coverage
- Putting tax-free money aside to help pay for medical, dental, daycare and other expenses
Major changes for 2024 include:
- People with PreferredOne must choose HealthPartners or Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
- More than 17,000 state employees could keep the same clinic but pay less for care by changing health plan administrators.
- Lower cost or free office visits for mental health and substance use disorder care.
- Increases or decreases in benefits cost each month.
These benefits can be set up, waived, or changed:
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance for employees, spouses, and children to age 26
- Manager's income protection program
- Pre-tax expense accounts
Changes can be made in Self Service by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 15.
Beware of open enrollment phishing attacks
 The MNIT Security Operations Center has tracked a phishing email campaign sent to state employees attempting to capitalize on open enrollment season. The contents of the email include an attachment and a note asking recipients to open the attachment.
Once opened, the attachment redirects to a credential harvesting page, where recipients are asked to put in their Office 365 credentials, which are sent to the malicious users. Open enrollment is through Self Service and doesn't ask for Office 365 credentials.
To avoid this and other phishing attacks:
- Be wary of emails with the "external source" banner.
- Increase your awareness if the email has the Outlook "you don't often get email from this address" banner.
- Treat emails with HTM and HTML attachments with extreme caution. These attachments are often used by cybercriminals for phishing attacks.
- For emails with suspicious attachments, confirm with the sender via phone or another method of communication the attachment is legitimate.
- Hover over links with your cursor to see where links actually lead.
- If the email seems suspicious, report it to the MNIT SOC by using the Outlook "report phishing" button.
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Decorative material harvesting, recovered deer, and more
With the quick turn to cooler weather, conservation officers have been monitoring hunters and preparing for the firearms deer season. They’re reminding hunters to always prioritize safety, wear blaze clothing, and refresh themselves on the regulations before they head out.
The following are several highlights from the weekly Conservation Office reports.
Oct. 30
CO Jacob Willis (Brookston) assisted a neighboring officer with a deer hunting issue in Duluth. He also actively patrolled for decorative material harvesting and followed up on TIP calls.
CO Annette Kyllo (Rochester #1) investigated a buck shot with a firearm, possibly from the road. Kyllo also assisted other area COs with a special detail focusing on areas that have had illegal shining complaints.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) worked on helicopter items and attended two aviation webinars. He also attended forestry classes put on by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on water ditching for aircrews.
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Oct. 23
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking duck hunters, deer hunters, pheasant hunters, and anglers. The fall walleye and panfish bite has been heating up and nice weather provided anglers plenty of opportunity to catch a few fish. He also followed up on a wolf that was shot near Toad Lake in Becker County.
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) participated in a waterfowl/pheasant saturation hosted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service federal wildlife officers. This saturation included South Dakota conservation officers, federal wildlife officers, U.S. Park Service rangers and Minnesota conservation officers. It covered the eastern part of South Dakota and the far west-central and southern parts of Minnesota.
CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) observed a group recovering a buck in a local field. When checked, the hunter loading it up mentioned shooting it the previous night. The group used a K9 tracking service to locate the deer, which was more than .66 miles from where it was initially arrowed. The CO commended the hunter for recovering the deer.
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Dean Paron wins 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award
 Dean Paron and his 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources.
Stream Habitat Supervisor Dean Paron was selected as a recipient of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources.
Paron was recognized with the award in Calgary, Canada in the state and local government category for "demonstrating exemplary leadership in reducing climate-related threats and promoting adaptation of the nation's natural resources."
The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources was established in 2016 to bring to light many of the outstanding people leading projects or activities that are advancing the resilience of our nation’s valuable fish, wildlife, and plant resources in a changing climate. This award acknowledges the leadership of those individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies that are making it happen and promote their work as examples of successful climate adaptation.
According to his nomination, Paron was selected for his work to adaptively manage fisheries to climate change, including developing and applying a fisheries climate action plan, working with diverse partners to protect and improve habitat for trout and other cold-water species, prioritizing the replacement of infrastructure to improve fish passage using projected stream temperature data, and more.
Paron also helps lead the DNR statewide strategy on climate communication and outreach, helped organize two all-staff climate conversation conferences, and is the chair of the Fish and Wildlife climate committee.
Congratulations, Dean!
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Fisheries staff stock lakes with walleye fingerlings
 Video credit: Cheri Zeppelin
Each fall, DNR fisheries staff harvest about 1.3 million walleye fingerlings from shallow rearing ponds and stock them into lakes.
Most walleyes caught by anglers are from naturally reproducing populations, but some lakes with otherwise good habitat, prey, and fish communities for a good walleye fishery need a boost to overcome poor conditions for natural reproduction.
When habitat or other biological conditions are favorable, stocking of either walleye fry (tiny fish) or fingerlings might benefit a walleye fishery. Newly hatched fry might be stocked directly into lakes in the spring or placed into rearing ponds, allowed to grow over the summer, and stocked into lakes as fingerlings in the fall.
Accounts Payable reminders
 Invoices
Receipting and purchase order stamp
The amount entered in the red receipting and purchase order stamp should match the amount that was receipted in SWIFT. This might be different from the invoice total if there are freight or late fees included on the invoice. |
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Setting up Adobe identity for stamps
This information is used to auto-populate certain fields in the stamps. To set it up:
- Open Adobe.
- Select "edit" on the main menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Select "preferences" under the menu option in the top left on the newer version of Adobe.
- Under "categories," select "identity."
- Fill in the information:
- Name
- Title
- Organization name: use the format "DNR Your Division Your Location"
- Select "OK"
 Review the PDF Basics – Accounts Payable document found on the Accounts Payable Intranet webpage for additional information, tips, and tricks.
Employee business expenses
New contracts for staff are not yet all in effect. The Expense Allowance by Bargaining Unit has been updated for AFSCME and MAPE bargaining units, effective Aug. 16 and Aug. 19, respectively. For other bargaining units, previous rates will be used until the new contracts are in effect.
Purchasing cards
Accounts Payable is in the process of finalizing July purchasing cards and beginning work on August.
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 St. Paul Hatchery Supervisor Genevieve Furtner
 Genevieve Furtner and her husband Josh Poole.
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Stepping to the plate to raise fish
By Lauren Peck, regional information officer
In its 2023 season, the St. Paul Hatchery produced approximately 40 million walleye fry, 35,000 muskie fryling, and 50,000 tiger muskie fry. Overseeing that work is Hatchery Supervisor Genevieve Furtner.
Once eggs arrive in April or early May, Genevieve dives into four months of nonstop work, including monitoring, feeding, ongoing maintenance and repair, and lots of cleaning to keep the fish healthy and prevent pathogens.
“When we get the eggs, you need to be cleaning them constantly,” Genevieve said. “You have to siphon off dead eggs because they grow fungus that can quickly infect the rest of the eggs.”
Even when she’s not on site, Genevieve is on call in case of emergencies.
“The strength of a hatchery worker is the ability to look, listen and pay attention,” she said. “If something is wrong, you’ll be able to tell.”
While she isn’t sure exactly where her interest in fish originated, it definitely didn’t come from a childhood love of fishing.
“The one time I remember fishing as a child, I caught a snapper on a piece of baloney, and that freaked me out so much that I didn’t fish again for many, many years,” she said.
But Genevieve eventually found herself drawn to underwater creatures.
“Water and the underwater world are the closest things we have to an extraterrestrial environment on earth,” she said. “The fish are the aliens, and it’s always fascinated me how different their existences and experiences are compared to land-dwellers.”
Water has also been helpful managing her ADHD and calming racing thoughts.
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 Work location:
St. Paul Hatchery,
part of region three headquarters
Job title:
Hatchery supervisor
Joined the DNR:
April 2022
Education:
B.S. in Biological Sciences with a focus on fish genetics, Ohio State University; M.S. in Fisheries, University of Minnesota
Something that might surprise your colleagues:
“When I play Two Truths and a Lie, one truth I always use is I was born on an island. The hospital I was born in, Cape Canaveral Hospital, is on an island in Cocoa Beach, Florida.”
What she does outside of work:
Walking her German Shepherd/Border Collie mix Duke, playing Dungeons & Dragons and board games, and trying new restaurants around the Twin Cities.
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“One of the few times I can get my mind to slow down is when I am underwater, especially if I am snorkeling or scuba diving,” she said.
Genevieve moved to Minnesota to pursue a master’s degree in fisheries. She not only earned her degree, she met her husband Josh Poole in the University of Minnesota program.
“I like to tell everyone that we fell in love while dissecting a dogfish," she said.
After graduation, the couple eventually moved to McCall, Idaho, when her husband took a job there. Genevieve soon discovered that Idaho Fish & Game operated a fish hatchery in town raising Chinook salmon.
“I’ve met very few people who go to college with the idea of becoming a hatchery employee,” she said. “I fell into the job because it was what was available.”
But she ended up loving the work and her coworkers.
“Hatchery workers are some of the most kind, genuine, and fun people,” she said. “In moments of crisis, they are quick thinkers who are really intelligent and willing to step up to the plate.”
After four years in McCall, she and her husband wanted to return to Minnesota, and Genevieve found her role at the St. Paul Hatchery.
As her fry grow to 1-2 inches, they go off to be raised into fingerlings at various DNR fisheries offices. The St. Paul hatchery closes in mid-summer, and Genevieve immediately starts preparing for the Minnesota State Fair.
In addition to the hatchery, she manages the DNR’s popular Fish Pond at the fair, which features 40 different species. Genevieve oversees transporting the fish to and from the state fairgrounds and keeping them happy and healthy for nearly 2 million visitors to enjoy during the 12 days of the fair.
While it’s hard work, she enjoys opportunities to engage with the public during the fair and leading hatchery tours.
“When a kid comes in and is so jazzed about seeing a tiny muskie, that really reinvigorates me," she said.
Prehistoric babies
 Nick Kludt, Red River fisheries specialist, releases lake sturgeon fingerlings into the Red Lake River. Since the early 2000s, the DNR, along with its partners, has stocked more than one-half million reared lake sturgeon fingerlings in the Red River Basin as part of its lake sturgeon recovery effort. Stocking efforts, along with dam modification projects to improve fish passage are key components to collectively support recovery efforts in the Red River Basin. Photo credit: Deb Rose
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Submit to Spotlight
Send Spotlight articles and photos to newsletter.dnr@state.mn.us.
Next Spotlight is scheduled for Nov. 17. Deadline for content is Nov. 15.
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